Go with the flow - SOMEONE needs to tell me! After 45 years in business I find it incredibly difficult to accept that things don’t always function like clockwork. The ferry from Aqaba, Jordan eventually left 2-3 hours later than scheduled. Myself, a young French couple and 4 Japanese ladies were the only foreigners onboard, amongst what seemed like 1000’s of people. The ferry was full, with people and vehicles, mostly busses and of-course one motorcycle.

Passports from the 7 foreigners were handed over to the immigration officer onboard the ferry, and would be kept and handed to the officials at the arrivals office. The French were rather uneasy about this fact, but as the vessel arrived we were met by an immigration official, who basically took us by the hand and led us to the various offices, and in a very short time we were all issued with visas and free to enter Egypt. So far so good. I had been told to leave the X-Country on the ship, and an extremely nice official walked me back to the ship where I wheeled the bike down the ramp, and on to Egyptian soil. I was asked to start the bike, and follow the customs guy who walked ahead, with me idling along behind him. We went to a couple of offices, and finally ended at the “top dog” who was going to sign my Carnet de Passages, organize insurance and an Egyptian numberplate which would have to be used while driving in Egypt. He looked at the papers, and absolutely refused to sign my Carnet, claiming he required a written authorization from their offices in Cairo. I argued till I was blue in my face, telling him how simple it had been at the Jordanian border. He was very sympathetic and listened kindly to my argument, but in the end  would not sign the papers. He told me that a French couple in a Landrover had arrived the day before, and were now on their way to Cairo to get a letter like the one I needed.

The Landrover had been impounded at customs, and so would my motorcycle be. After a 24 hour stretch without sleep, it was not the kind of news I really wanted. I certainly did not relish the prospect of a 12 hour bus journey to Cairo, and 12 hours back again. Find a place to stay for 2 nights. Locating the office and the person who would issue the certificate, in this massive and hectic city. That was not the high point of the trip, so far!

The officer who had helped me get the bike off the ship, turned out to be incredibly helpful. He showed me to his office where I spent the next 3 hours waiting for the bus to Cairo. He could see I needed some sleep, and told me to feel free to take a nap on the three plastic chairs in his office, which I promptly did. 2 hours later he woke me up, and had bought some breakfast - chips, naanbread, yogurt, gurken, chicken, and tea. 3 other customs guys joined in his office for breakfast, and they were all curious to know more about the trip. At 10.00 o’clock I was taken to the bus station close by. The bus eventually arrived 2 hours late. Top-notch service from the Egyptian customs people!

Almost 12 hours later we arrived in Cairo around midnight, and I had to find a place for the night. The trip to Cairo had gone right across the Sinaï Peninsula, where we were stopped by armed police and military 6-7 times, who wanted to check all passports, and a couple of times also our luggage. Further north across the Suez canal, and into Cairo.

I needed a place to sleep. Even at midnight Cairo is still busy. The most difficult part is to find someone who speaks English, and could suggest a hotel. After some time I ended up at the famous Tahrir Square in Downtown Cairo, place of the 2011 demonstrations which led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. I asked a police officer at the square about a place to sleep. He promptly took me by the arm, walked me through the traffic across the square and into a small hotel. Good place, and only 150 Egyptian pounds, he said (€ 8,00). And it had what I needed - a shower and a bed!

Tomorrow I would start the procedure to get the documentation for my bike.